Audit of Documentation of Forensic History on Admission Form in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: To study the documentation of relevant components of forensic history on admission form for male patients admitted in psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU)/OAK ward of Phoenix Care Center.

STUDY DESIGN: Clinical audit.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Psychiatric intensive care unit/OAK ward of Phoenix Care Center, from August 2019 to July 2020.

METHODOLOGY: Charts of all patients admitted in PICU from August 2019 to July 2020 were analysed, and admission forms were reviewed for documentation of relevant parameters of forensic history. A structured tool was made after literature search, which included drug and alcohol history, history of assaults, protection/barring orders, number of previous PICU admissions, previous charges, pending charges, use of depot medications and previous encounters with police without pending charges.

RESULTS: A total of 50 patients were admitted during the given time period. Drug and alcohol history was documented in 98% of the cases, previous charges were documented in 88% of the cases, protection/baring order was documented in 62% of the cases, while previous encounter with the police without being charged was documented in only 32% of the cases.

CONCLUSION: Drugs and alcohol and previous charges were documented in most of the cases, but documentation of protection/baring order and encounter with the police without being charged was a neglected area, which should be worked upon in future. Key Words: Admission form, Forensic history, Medical audit.